Things You Shouldn’t Be Doing at Holiday Parties

It is not only hard to be a good host of the holiday party, but it is also complicated to be a good and polite guest. There are some unwritten rules for the guests that everyone should be aware of. If you want to be the guest that everyone invites at their parties, keep in mind the following conditions.

Don’t ignore the invitation

Invitations are not handed out just for no reason. They are the information providers for the guests so they would know where to go, how to dress, what to take with them etc. If there are some specific requirements, you should follow them to not ruin the party. For example, if there is said you must call the host and notice of arrival, you should definitely do that, so the host would know how many people will be there and how to organize the celebration. Also don’t think that it is fine to take other people with you. If there is only your name in invitation, host doesn’t expect anyone else to be there, including your kids.

Don’t arrive too early

It is even better to be few minutes late, than arrive too early. If you come too early the host might not be prepared yet and he might not want someone to see the whole preparation process. That really might ruin the mood of the host, beside if you will be sitting in the room doing nothing, host might feel awkward and rushed, because it is rude to not spent the time with guests. Don’t make this time even more stressful for the host.

Always bring a gift or something for the celebration

Many people doesn’t even now how rude it is to show up on a holiday party with empty hands. You should always take at least something symbolic. This gesture shows that you are thankful for the invitation and you appreciate the hard work the host has done. Also it shows that you doesn’t expect the host to be buying everything alone. Most common gifts for holiday parties are bottle of vine or champagne, cake, dessert, candy or thematic gifts.

Don’t bring up contentious conversations

Starting to talk about something contentious is the worst thing any guest can do at a holiday party, especially if he doesn’t know all the other guests too well. That can cause some serious fights, because for some of the guests the certain topic might be very personal and cause anger or resentment. Don’t talk about money, your beliefs, religion and other things that might cause fights and negative emotions. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should stay quiet for the whole evening. You can talk about ordinary everyday things or things that you are interested in, but avoid to push your opinion.

Don’t be critical about anything

Even if you really doesn’t like something about the holiday party, don’t say it to the host. That will create awkward feelings and tense atmosphere. Host might even get offended, because you doesn’t know how much work there is put in to organize the party. If you don’t want to ruin the relationship with the host, keep your negative opinion to yourself.